Tom Mason (my Pop) worked in
the entertainment industry for nearly 40 years.
One of his passions was comics and toy collecting. His love for the old movie
serials of his youth helped spawn this web-site: The Crimson
Collector.com.
It is with great pride that I try and fill his shoes, and continue the site in
his memory. CC will cover all the superhero films in production, comic book
news and of course serials...
Thanks for visiting! - CHRIS MASON: Crimson WebMaster

I have
a number of copies of this rare made for TV movie. ABC produced THE SPIRIT
movie as a pilot for a TV series which never happened. The film is not all that
bad - it does suffer from an update from Eisner's 40's period to the 80's - but
there are hints of what made The Spirit so much fun to read as a comic strip. It
would have been interesting to see where the show would have gone if it had sold
as a series.

When Denny Colt (Sam J. Jones), detective for the
Central City Police Department, survives an assassination attempt by
criminals, he is still believed by the public to be dead. He decides to use
to his advantage, since being "dead", he isn't subject to the rules that
bind regular cops. To this end, he equips an abandoned tomb in a graveyard
into a residence and headquarters and prepares for a new career. With that,
he becomes the Spirit, a mysterious crime fighter whose only costume is a
blue business suit, fedora hat and a little eye mask. His first major case
pits him against P'Gell, a femme fatal who has criminal designs on the city.
Based on the famous Will Eisner comic.

If you ould like a copy of the film on DVD - please contact
the Crimson Collector.
This video is sold on a collector to collector basis, and comes in a DVD
slip-case with custom artwork taken from the movie. (below)

With Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull having earned a massive $743.7 million
worldwide (#27 on the all-time worldwide list),
The Sunday Times asked George Lucas if he, Steven Spielberg and Harrison
Ford would be up for a fifth film:

"We were hoping for box-office figures like that, which is, ultimately,
with inflation, what the others have done, within 10%," Lucas explains. "So,
we squeaked up there. Really, though, it was a challenge getting the story
together and getting everybody to agree on it. Indiana Jones only becomes
complicated when you have another two people saying 'I want it this way' and
'I want it that way', whereas, when I first did Jones, I just said, 'We'll
do it this way' � and that was much easier. But now I have to accommodate
everybody, because they are all big, successful guys, too, so it's a little
hard on a practical level.

"If I can come up with another idea that they like, we'll do another.
Really, with the last one, Steven wasn't that enthusiastic. I was trying to
persuade him. But now Steve is more amenable to doing another one. Yet we
still have the issues about the direction we'd like to take. I'm in the
future; Steven's in the past. He's trying to drag it back to the way they
were, I'm trying to push it to a whole different place. So, still we have a
sort of tension. This recent one came out of that. It's kind of a hybrid of
our own two ideas, so we'll see where we are able to take the next one."

Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown
into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a
half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 83.

His publicist, Jerry Digney, told The Associated Press he died at
his home.

Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular clown
in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the
character to others, particularly dozens of television stations
around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their
local Bozos.

"You might say, in a way, I was cloning BTC (Bozo the Clown) before
anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," Harmon told the
AP in a 1996 interview.

"Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the
childlike ways in all of us," Harmon said. Pinto Colvig, who also
provided the voice for Walt Disney's Goofy, originated Bozo the
Clown when Capitol Records introduced a series of children's records
in 1946. Harmon would later meet his alter ego while answering a
casting call to make personal appearances as a clown to promote the
records.

He got that job and eventually bought the rights to Bozo. Along the
way, he embellished Bozo's distinctive look: the orange-tufted hair,
the bulbous nose, the outlandish red, white and blue costume.
"I felt if I could plant my size 83AAA shoes on this planet,
(people) would never be able to forget those footprints," he said.
Susan Harmon, his wife of 29 years, indicated Harmon was the perfect
fit for Bozo.

"He was the most optimistic man I ever met. He always saw a bright
side; he always had something good to say about everybody. He was
the love of my life," she said Thursday.
The business -- combining animation, licensing of the character, and
personal appearances -- made millions, as Harmon trained more than
200 Bozos over the years to represent him in local markets.

"I'm looking for that sparkle in the eyes, that emotion, feeling,
directness, warmth. That is so important," he said of his criteria
for becoming a Bozo. Harmon protected Bozo's reputation with a
vengeance, while embracing those who poked good-natured fun at the
clown. As Bozo's influence spread through popular culture, his very
name became a synonym for clownish behavior. "It takes a lot
of effort and energy to keep a character that old fresh so kids
today still know about him and want to buy the products," Karen
Raugust, executive editor of The Licensing Letter, a New York-based
trade publication, said in 1996.

A normal character runs its course in three to five years, Raugust
said. "Harmon's is a classic character. It's been around 50 years."
On New Year's Day 1996, Harmon dressed up as Bozo for the first time
in 10 years, appearing in the Rose Parade in Pasadena. The crowd
reaction, he recalled, "was deafening." - "They kept yelling, 'Bozo,
Bozo, love you, love you.' I shed more crocodile tears for five
miles in four hours than I realized I had," he said. "I still get
goose bumps."

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Harmon became interested in theater while
studying at the University of Southern California.

"Bozo is a star, an entertainer, bigger than life," Harmon once
said. "People see him as Mr. Bozo, somebody you can relate to, touch
and laugh with."

Besides his wife, Harmon is survived by his son, Jeff Harmon, and
daughters Lori Harmon, Marci Breth-Carabet and Leslie Breth.

Dancer and movie star Cyd Charisse died of cardiac arrest
Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, her longtime business
manager Stan Schneider disclosed. She was 86.

Though only 5-foot-6, the Amarillo, Texas, native was famous for her long legs
and her beauty, and is perhaps best known for her onscreen pairings with Fred
Astaire and Gene Kelly, including roles in "The Band Wagon," (1953), in which
she performed the acclaimed routines "Dancing in the Dark" and "Girl Hunt
Ballet" with Astaire, and "Singin' in the Rain" (1952), which featured her
classic "Broadway Melody" showstopper opposite Kelly.

She first appeared with Astaire in a brief routine in "Ziegfeld
Follies" (released in 1946) and reunited with him in 1957's "Silk Stockings,"
the musical version of "Ninotchka," in which she took on the part originally
played by Greta Garbo.

Besides "Singin' in the Rain," she paired with Kelly in
1954's "Brigadoon" and his 1956 pic "It's Always Fair Weather."

Besides her husband of 60 years, she is survived by two sons,
a grandson and a granddaughter.

Stan Winston, Oscar-winning special effects master who
designed the dinosaurs for "Jurassic Park" and the look of "The Terminator,"
died Sunday evening at his Malibu home. He was 62.

The Oscar and Emmy-winning f/x and makeup designer died after a
seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a representative from
Stan Winston Studio.

Winston, who set the industry standard for robotic/animatronic
creatures and prosthetic makeup, won four Oscars: a visual effects Oscar for
1986's "Aliens," visual effects and makeup Oscars for 1992's "Terminator 2:
Judgment Day" and a visual effects Oscar for 1993's "Jurassic Park," for which
he created animatronic dinosaurs that complemented the film's digitally animated
creatures.

Steven Spielberg, who worked with Winston on several films,
said in a statement: "Stan was a fearless and courageous artist/inventor, and
for many projects, I rode his cutting edge from teddy bears to aliens to
dinosaurs. My world would not have been the same without Stan. What I will miss
most is his easy laugh every time he said to me, 'Nothing is impossible.' "

Gov. Schwarzenegger said: "The entertainment industry has
lost a genius, and I lost one of my best friends with the death Sunday night of
Stan Winston. Stan's work and four Oscars speak for themselves and will live on
forever. What will live forever in my heart is the way that Stan loved everyone
and treated each of his friends like they were family."

Winston refused to discuss his illness outside his intimate
circle, and many were surprised at news of his death.

Hurd said, "It's so shocking when it's someone so alive,
with such joie de vivre and with so much more to contribute to our industry."

He is survived by his wife, Karen; son Matt, an actor;
daughter Debbie; a brother and four grandchildren.

'When We Left Earth' series to take off on Discovery ChannelMay 28, 2008

When I was a kid in the 1960's I wanted to be two things when
I grew up an
artist and an astronaut - well one out of two ain't bad! And for those
who grew up in the 60's watching the Apollo launches as I did can now see some
never before seen NASA footage with the Discovery Channel's new mini-series WHEN
WE LEFT EARTH.

NASA's greatest missions are about to get a high definition makeover by the
Discovery Channel this year to commemorate the U.S. space agency's 50th
anniversary.

"When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions," a miniseries that follows
Discovery's popular "Planet Earth" series, will showcase
50 years of space exploration. The series includes some never-before-seen
film culled from 500 hours of footage plucked from NASA's archives and carefully
restored for broadcast in high definition (HD).

"When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions" will air as a
six-hour special on consecutive Sundays, June 8, 15, and 27.

The Crimson Collector is proud to announce that long-time CC friend Gary
Hughes and
Rocketmania.com founder is thrilled to announce that his retro sci-fi serial
fan film, "Thirty Second Doom", is scheduled to be screened at the upcoming
Wonderfest Convention on July
19-20.

The recently completed first-of-four chapters, "Terminal Dive" will be shown
along side Bob Burns' classic, "The Further Adventures of Major Mars", as well
as many other films.

Do they, or don't they have the rights? Nu
Image/Millennium Films told IGN
that no deal is in place yet, but now Variety says that Nu
Image/Millennium Films has acquired film rights to "Buck Rogers," and will
develop a live-action feature about the venerable pilot who awakens in the
25th Century and battles evil.

RUMOR: IGN also reported that Sin City and
The Spirit director Frank Miller was attached to helm the pic, but the
company later told them "they are still mulling over director contenders."

Buck Rogers has enjoyed incarnations in books, comic strips, movies, radio
and television, a run that began in the 1920s. That included a feature
serial from Universal in 1939 that starred Buster Crabbe, and a short-lived
NBC series that starred Gil Gerard.

Nu Image/Millennium will search for a studio partner, just the way it did
after gaining the
movie rights from Paradox Entertainment to "Conan," which is now
being developed with Lionsgate.

Myriad directors have dipped their toes into the property, but were not
committed enough to dive right in. That is, until Breck Eisner had his named
attached to an update nearly three years ago, working from a script by Gary
Ross. The waters have been seemingly calm on the Creature front since
then leading some to suspect Universal's attempts to float another Gill Man
adventure were mere pipedreams. But the truth is, Eisner is reworking Gary
Ross' screenplay right now. In fact, he took time off from that task just to
meet us today.

"We scouted the movie last year but got shut down when the writers strike
happened," Eisner explains to us. "We had a crew in the Amazon
where we're going to shoot all of the exteriors. We're shooting in Manaus,
Brazil and on the Amazon in Peru. I want it to be authentic. I'm a big fan
of Werner Herzog and Fitzcarraldo. Herzog got that authenticity. He shot in
Manaus. So, we scouted for a month. There's this place called the Forest of
Mirrors, because there are so many lagoons on a thousand mile green carpet
river, and we found the lagoon we're going to shoot in."

Eisner is also currently prepping a remake of George Romero's
The Crazies
which he'll shoot before Creature. "I want to get that film done,
get it into post-production then head to the Amazon for 'Creature.' Oddly,
I'm waiting on the height of the Amazon river before we start shooting - it
drops 50-feet in October and November. But we've got the boat set and
everything ready to go."

The new Creature will take place in a contemporary setting, and, will
feature a mixture of CG and practical FX. "The Creature has been
designed, we've spent six months designing him." Eisner says Spectral
Motion has built a maquette based on an appearance created by Mark "Crash"
McCreery (Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean). "We went top shelf on
it. It's very faithful to the original, but updated."

Asked if he was turning the Creature into a huge action spectacle
like Universal's Mummy films, Eisner expresses a noted reverence for
the studio's atmosphere-soaked originals like James Whale's Frankenstein and
George Waggner's The Wolf Man. "We debated tone a thousand times. For me
tone is the most interesting thing a filmmaker has and so the Creature is a
creature, it's not a monster. That's my number one thing about the movie.
We're not going to turn him into a monster. He's still going to be
empathetic, he's still going to be deadly, he's still going to have a
misguided means of expressing his interests in a woman, but it's uniquely
the Creature. It's empathy for a deadly creature and tone plays a big part
of that." Still, Eisner knows full well Universal is aiming for summer
movie fare so, "it will deliver of action
and excitement, but I want it to be scary. The Creature was scary when it
first came out in '54 - it's not scary today - but that's what updating
means to me, updating the tone of the original."

ROSE MCGOWAN really knows her movie lore and makes for an erudite and dazzling
new co-host on
Turner Classic Movies'
"Essentials." Rose, famous for her pitch-black locks in the TV series
"Charmed" and the 2007 feature "Grindhouse," is now blond. She went blond for
the remake of "Barbarella" being directed by Robert Rodriguez. (Rodriguez and
Rose are engaged.) Rose insists the new "Barbarella" is still a go despite the
pending actors strike. ... But one wonders if the innocent and "high camp" Roger
Vadim/Jane
Fonda 1968 version should even be tampered with? Audiences were once shocked
to see Jane's gravity-free striptease over the opening titles. There were coy
glimpses of her body throughout. But the movie was more funny than salacious.

Writers Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, best
known for their work on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, are in final
negotiations to write a live-action big-screen adaptation of The Lone Ranger
for Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

The Hollywood Reporter says the project will be made by Disney and
Jerry Bruckheimer Films in association with Entertainment Rights.

"Ranger," owned by Classic Media, began life as a 1930s radio show. Its
popularity led to movie serials, TV shows, comic strips and
comic books, toys, novels and more.

The hero's origin story begins with a group of Texas Rangers chasing down a
gang of outlaws led by Butch Cavendish. The gang ambushes the Rangers,
seemingly killing them all. One survivor is found, however, by an American
Indian named Tonto, who nurses him back to health. The Ranger, donning a
mask and riding a white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring
the unscrupulous gang and others of that ilk to justice.

Dave Stevens, best
known as the creator of The Rocketeer and his "good girl" art, died
yesterday following a long and private battle with Leukemia. He was 52.

First
published in 1982 by Eclipse Comics and then by Comico and finally Dark
Horse, �The Rocketeer� instantly earned Stevens many loyal fans. The book
showcased his exquisite artwork, which combined an obvious affection for
pulp heroes and sexy '50s pin-up girls and helped re-popularize interest in
the classic pulp adventure aesthetic and is credited by many as almost
single-handedly igniting the late 20th century resurgence of �50s pin-up and
fetish model Bettie Page, who served as inspiration for the Rocketeer�s
movie love interest Jenny Blake.

After drawing her classic image for many years, Stevens
eventually befriended the real-life and hugely reclusive Bettie Page,
becoming one of her closest friends and financial supporters, having
recognized his own success was due in no small part to his use of her
likeness. Stevens told comics historian Mark Evanier, �It's amazing. After
years of fantasizing about this woman, I'm now driving her to cash her
Social Security checks."

Famously meticulous with his artwork, Stevens produced
few comic books beyond �The Rocketeer,� which was adapted as a feature film
in 1991 starring Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin and Timothy
Dalton. Stevens remained very visible on the art scene with his many glamour
illustrations, contributions to art books and private commissions.

For more on Dave Stevens and his remarkable life and
work, CBR News encourages readers to visit the blog of
Mark Evanier, one of Stevens� closest friends.

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has indicated there
are no plans for a public memorial service. We extend our condolences to the
friends and family of Mr. Stevens.

Ben Chapman, best known for playing the title
character in the 1954 horror film "Creature From the Black Lagoon," died
yesterday at Tripler Medical Center. He was 79.

Chapman was a retired real estate executive. But his role as the Gill Man
� the quintessential 1950s monster in Universal Pictures' black-and-white film
in 3-D � became his worldwide calling card and made him a darling on the
collectibles and sci-fi circuit throughout the world. The gig brought him
enduring pleasure, said his son, Ben Chapman III, of Honolulu.

"His 'Creature' fans kept him going and he looked forward to trips to the
Mainland. But over the past year, he was slowing down because of heart problems;
he had breathing problems," his son said.

"He had created a 'Creature' Web site (www.the-reelgillman.com)
where his fans would reach him," said Chapman, who was among family members at
his father's bedside when he died shortly after midnight yesterday.

"Creature" was released in 1954, when Chapman was a contract player at
Universal. In a 1993 Advertiser interview he said: "I never knew, when I did the
movie at age 25, that it would be such a monster film," � pun intended.

A Tahiti native, Chapman got the Gill Man part because of his size, 6 feet
5. He wore a foam rubber suit that defined his character: part-amphibian,
part-man.

As Chapman explained in a 1993 interview, there were actually two actors
who played the Gill Man. He was the creature on land; Ricou Browning was the
actor in water sequences.

In publicity photos, Chapman was the one beneath the foam-rubber body suit
and the large-lipped headpiece, posing with Julia Adams, the object of the Gill
Man's affection in what he once likened to a beauty-and-the-beast tale: a soul
with a ghastly exterior falling in love with the woman of his dreams.

The Gill Man is shot and stabbed in the final moments and he sinks into
the depths of the water, only to return in a pair of sequels � neither with
Chapman � that never replicated the success of the original.

The Gill Man's place in the Universal monster lineage was a priority for
Chapman, since he was the longtime lone survivor in a parade of horror monster
flicks that dated to the 1920s. He cited predecessors Lon Chaney Sr. in "Phantom
of the Opera" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame" in the 1920s, Bela Lugosi in
"Dracula" and Boris Karloff in "Frankenstein" in the 1930s, and Lon Chaney Jr.
in "The Wolf Man" and "The Mummy" in the 1940s.

Chapman was born Oct. 29, 1928, in Oakland, but was reared in Tahiti till
age 12 or 13, then relocated to San Francisco.

He was a Korean War
veteran, earning both a Silver Star and Bronze Star. He also earned two Purple
Hearts for battle injuries to his legs. Chapman's son said doctors wanted to
amputate his legs. Instead, Chapman nursed himself back to health.

Survivors also include his companion of 25 years, Merrilee Kazarian, who
describes herself as "Mrs. Creature"; another son, Grant Chapman of Las Vegas;
step-daughter Elyse Maree Raljevich of Coto De Gaza, Calif.; sister Moea (Harry)
Baty of Los Angeles; and several nieces and nephews.

Greetings Crimson fans - we have gotten reports that the CCSTORE was off-line,
well its still up and running. CafePress.com had done some updates and we lost
some linkage - but all is up and open for business!

So please feel free to check out our cool and "Exclusive"
items that you will not find anywhere else but HERE at the CCSTORE!

Paramount Pictures and
Lucasfilm Ltd. officially released today the first teaser trailer for
the highly anticipated Indiana Jones adventure
Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring
Harrison Ford in the title role.

On May 22, Indiana Jones is back in a new globe-trotting adventure, Indiana
Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Directed by Steven Spielberg and
starring Harrison Ford as Indy, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull is a Lucasfilm Ltd. Production. The movie features an outstanding
cast, including Oscar� winner Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray
Winstone, John Hurt, Oscar� winner Jim Broadbent and Shia LaBeouf. Frank
Marshall is the film's producer. George Lucas and Kathleen Kennedy are the
executive producers. The screenplay is by David Koepp from a story by George
Lucas and Jeff Nathanson.

SCI FI's Emmy and Peabody
Award-winning original series "Battlestar Galactica" returns for its fourth
original season on Friday, March 28 @ 10pm ET/PT with two back-to-back
half-hour specials. The first new episode will premiere the following week,
Friday, April 4 @ 10pm ET/PT.

"Battlestar Galactica: Revisited" (10pm) will serve up the essential
information on the series' past three seasons, providing the uninitiated
with an introduction to the characters, relationships and spine-tingling
drama that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world. "Galactica's"
executive producers, Ronald D. Moore and David Eick serve as guides,
providing insights and revelations about the critically-acclaimed series.

"Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon" (10:30pm) is a celebrity-studded
celebration of the show's impact on pop culture. Interviewees, including
Seth Green, country music's Top Male Vocalist of 2007 Brad
Paisley, and The Soup's Joel McHale, and others, wax poetic about why
"Battlestar Galactica" is one of the best frakkin' shows on television.

As season 4 opens, the last remnants of humanity continue their search for a
new home, the thin line that separates them from the rapidly evolving Cylons
is being redrawn. "Galactica's" crew, rocked by Starbuck's sudden and
mysterious return from the dead and her claims that she has been to Earth
and can lead them there attempts to make sense of the inexplicable.
Meanwhile, four members of the fleet are still reeling from the revelation
that they are Cylons and have been all along.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has announced its members have voted to
end the strike:

The membership of the Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) and the
Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) today voted overwhelmingly in favor of
lifting the restraining order and ending their 100-day strike that began on
Nov. 5. 3,775 writers turned out in Los Angeles and New York to cast ballots
or fax in proxies, with 92.5% voting in favor of ending the work stoppage.

"The strike is over. Our membership has voted, and writers can go back to
work," said Patric M. Verrone, president of the Writers Guild of America,
West. "This was not a strike we wanted, but one we had to conduct in order
to win jurisdiction and establish appropriate residuals for writing in new
media and on the Internet. Those advances now give us a foothold in the
digital age. Rather than being shut out of the future of content creation
and delivery, writers will lead the way as TV migrates to the Internet and
platforms for new media are developed."

The Alliance of Motion Pictures and
Television
Producers (AMPTP) also made the following joint statement:

This is a day of relief and optimism for everyone in the entertainment
industry. We can now all get back to work, with the assurance that we have
concluded two groundbreaking labor agreements -- with our directors and our
writers -- that establish a partnership through which our business can grow
and prosper in the new digital age. The strike has been extraordinarily
difficult for all of us, but the hardest hit of all have been the many
thousands of businesses, workers and families that are economically
dependent on our industry. We hope now to focus our collective efforts on
what this industry does best � writers, directors, actors, production crews,
and entertainment companies working together to deliver great content to our
worldwide audiences.

Anne Thompson at
Variety has posted some interesting things about the "Superman"
franchise, new Justice League movie and third Batman pic:

Speaking of DC Comics pics, it is highly unlikely that Bryan Singer will
return to shoot the next Superman movie. (The director is finishing up Tom
Cruise's Nazi film Valkyrie, and prepping The Mayor of Castro Street). The
next Superman we will see on the big screen will not be Brandon Routh, but a
younger Superman among a cast of youthful superheroes in The Justice League.
That movie will likely not be shot, however, until after the WGA strike is
resolved. Warners is so happy with Dark Knight that their fondest hope is
that Nolan will return to do another Batman.

While none of this is official, stay tuned for more on these projects!

*Source: ComingSoon.net

UPDATE:

Routh Out of Superman Sequel, Too?

Not long after the above we mentioned
article from Variety stating that Bryan Singer is highly
unlikely to direct the Superman Returns sequel,
Latino Review posted more possible bad news for the second film
-- Brandon Routh may not return either as Clark Kent/Superman.

According to the site, the actor that lands the Superman role in
George Miller's
Justice
League will go on to star in a separate Superman movie as well.

Again, none of this is official until the studio actually confirms
or denies these rumors (about both Singer and Routh), so it will be
a wait-and-see
game for now.

Seth Rogen talks The
Green HornetNov. 28, 2007

Heavyweight actors like George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and
Jake Gyllenhaal all flirted with the project, so when it was the literally
heavyweight star of "Knocked Up" who was ultimately tapped to bring the
iconic Green Hornet to the big screen, it was as if millions of fanboys
cried out in terror: "Seth
Rogen as Britt Reid? Say what?"

"[The fan reaction] was a little surprising. I love the
idea! I think it's going to be a unique and interesting movie," the jocular
always-self-deprecating Rogen announced, before adding with a laugh, "but
nerds love complaining. You go on [the Web site for] Ain't It Cool News, and
everybody complains about everything. They could find out Jesus Christ was
making a movie with Frank Miller, and they'd say, 'That's a terrible
combination!' "

In all fairness, Frank Miller announcing "Jerusalem:
The Real Sin City" might be only slightly more bizarre than Rogen as a
costumed super. But, then, his "Green Hornet" will be like no superhero
movie we've ever seen before, the 25-year-old star insisted.

"Just a few weeks ago, [co-writer Evan Goldberg and I]
laid out our outline for the movie to the studio, and before the phone call,
Evan and I were like, 'This is not like any superhero movie � they might
just hate that,' " Rogen recalled. " 'It's not using any of the normal
superhero movie formats. It's not an origin story. It's more like a regular
action movie.' [But] they really liked it and told us to go for it."

"You should believe that I can do some physical
activity," Rogen laughed. "You have to believe I can do something."

Getting slim is just one of the ways Rogen is staying
true to the action aspects of the character, he asserted. And fans worried
about just how well the ferocious talent behind "Superbad" and "Knocked Up"
writes action? They should hold off judgment until his next movie hits
theaters, Rogen said.

"I think when people see 'Pineapple Express' it will
make more sense to them," Rogen teased of his next project, a high-octane
action/comedy co-starring James Franco.

But while Rogen and Goldberg are committed to action,
the writing duo actually have two outlines for the movie, the actor
confessed, similar in some respects but varying greatly in tone.

"There's a more comedic version and a less comedic
version, and we don't know what will feel right until we're actually writing
it," he revealed to MTV News. "We were about to start writing the script,
and then the
[writers'] strike hit.

"It's really hard to wrap our head around what the
movie will be until we've written the script," he added.

But while Rogen admitted to vacillating between the two
versions, he's anything but ambivalent on another tough decision,
unabashedly banging the drum for one of two actors to play Kato, the
Hornet's Asian manservant and partner in crime.

"I think what's most important about the Kato part is
it's someone that you believe can kick the sh-- out of a lot of people,"
Rogen said of the role made famous by Bruce Lee in the late-'60s television
version. "['Kung Fu Hustle' star] Steven Chow is incredible. That was
someone we had talked about. I'm a big Tony Jaa fan also."

On the matter of a director, however, Rogen was less
committal. "We're always thinking of people who we wouldn't think of. We
want guys who will bring something new to the table," he said. "There are
two schools of thought: You can get the guy who's a great action-movie
director, who's done a million action movies. Or you get the guy who's never
done it but has fresh ideas.

"[In the end] we want someone who will make it better
than we could have made it," he concluded.

Remake
rights to the 1952 classic Western "High Noon," starring Gary Cooper and Grace
Kelly, were acquired Monday at AFM by producer Mark Headley, actor Christopher
Mitchum and their business partner, Toni Covington.

Rights were secured from actress Karen Sharp Kramer, wife of the late Stanley
Kramer, producer of the iconic original about a town marshal forced to face a
gang of killers by himself.

The newly formed Los Angeles-based High Noon Prods. is seeking a director and a
star to play the lead and hopes to begin shooting early next year with a target
budget of about $20 million, Headley said.

Mitchum, son of actor Robert Mitchum, worked on the Westerns "The Last Hard Men"
with Charlton Heston and James Coburn in 1976 and "Rio
Lobo" with John Wayne in 1970. He noted that he had wanted to remake "High Noon"
for years.

Kramer confirmed the deal but declined to reveal its terms.

The original "High Noon" was written by John Cunningham and Carl Foreman and
directed by Fred Zinnemann; it was based on pulp short story, "The Tin Star."

Superman Returns
screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris have opted not to come back
and pen a sequel to the 2006 summer film that would have reunited them with
helmer Bryan Singer, reports Variety. The three also worked together
on X2: X-Men United.

As a result, Warner Bros. is now taking pitches for The Man of Steel's next
outing from other writers -- just as the studio is trying to figure out
which actor will don the character's tights in
Justice League.

Brandon Routh will likely wear the "S" on his chest again. Legendary
Pictures is co-developing and co-financing the project, which is expected to
up the action quotient.

For some the news
that Dougherty and Dan Harris will not be returning is a good thing. UPDATED!Mark Millar to Pitch Superman Sequel

With the news that Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris
are not returning to write the Superman Returns sequel, Mark Millar
(Smallville) wants to pitch Warner Bros. his vision of the franchise. He
says on his official
boards:

It's 8.58am right now, my guys at CAA get
into the office in about seven hours and my call will be waiting for
them to talk about this. I want to revamp Superman like Hillary
wants thin ankles. Revamping this franchise is what I as given
fingers for and so, invited or not, I'm putting my plan together
now. I've been asked to work on half a dozen screenplays lately, but
this is the only one I have ever truly wanted.

As most here know, I have literally hundreds of pages of notes and
sketches just waiting for this opportunity. This would be my dream
gig and, as a fan, I know exactly what this project needs to work.
This has to be Superman for the 21st Century, keeping everything we
adore, but starting from scratch and making the kids love it as much
as the 30-somethings. I would honestly write this thing for free.

Anyway, my treatment is being polished as we type. Wish me luck. I
want to do that Superman movie we all want to see.

Art
Faschan is a portrait artist and calls his company
PORTRAITS OF
MEMORIES�. Mr. Faschan drew this Portrait of "Memories of Clayton Moore" for
donation to the Golden Boot Awards in Beverly Hills California.Mr. Faschan was attending the award show where the original was bought at
auction by Rand Brooks.Mr. Brooks played in 12 movies as
Hopalong Cassidy�s sidekick Lucky.Mr. Brooks was also a
close friend of Clayton Moore.Mr. Faschan was lucky enough
to meet Mr. and Mrs. Brooks after the show.After Mr. Brooks
passed away in 2003 Mrs. Brooks was helped by Dawn Moore, daughter of Clayton,
to go thru his private collection of memorabilia.Dawn said
that the Portrait of Memories was the centerpiece of a wall dedicated to �The
Lone Ranger�.

We are now proud to offer this limited edition print, with
a portion of the proceeds donated toward a charity chosen by Ms. Moore.

Please visit
PORTRAITS OF MEMORIES for more details on how to order this amazing print -
and be sure and tell 'em "The Crimson Collector sent me!"

Paz
Vega and Jamie King have joined the cast of
Will Eisner's The
Spirit, co-produced by Lionsgate and Odd Lot Entertainment.

"The Spirit" is directed by Frank Miller (writer/co-director of Sin City and
author of the graphic novel "300") based on his own adaptation. The
action-adventure centers on a man who fakes his own death and fights crime
from the shadows of Central City.

Vega will play the knife-wielding Plaster of Paris, and King will portray
Lorelei, a phantom siren.

If you've been watching the
NEW Flash Gordon on the Sci-Fi
Channel then you may be a bit disappointed with this 'revamp' of Alex
Raymond's swashbuckling hero.

When
it was announced that Sci-Fi would be updating Flash Gordon as: "newest
original action-adventure series, Flash Gordon � a modern-day retelling of the
classic comic strip franchise,"
I was all for it. Updating Battlestar Galactica was a big success, many fans of
the original 1978 ABC show were at first hesitant � wanting to see a re-do with
the original cast. But the new show proved itself and won over the fans � me
included. So I had similar hopes for Flash, after 1980�s much lauded campy
exercise with Sam J. Jones, it seemed like our hero would never get a fair
shake. Then I watched the first episode of the new series� re-imagining and
well, frankly to say I was disappointed would be an understatement.

From the get-go its obvious
the budget or the lack thereof is one of the main reasons this show is what it
is. Most of the sets are exteriors and �woods� or abandoned warehouses and lots
of "action" takes place in Flash�s home. Mongo is nothing more than some moody
lighting and another warehouse location with some blinking lights tossed around,
nothing like a threatening alien planet very little attempt is made to make it
look other-worldly!

The cast is terrible, the only stand-out is
Eric Johnson who plays our updated hero Flash Gordon, and that ain�t saying much
- the rest of the cast are unmentionable and utterly forgettable, in fact all
the women look the same, I had a hard time telling them apart. The less I can
say about what they have done to poor Dr. Zarkov the better.

Costumes and production
design is almost non-existent, when our intrepid hero visits Mongo the �alien�
world is nothing more than a lame-ass matte painting and some colored filters on
the camera to turn the green grass orange. The costumes, UGH! When Ming calls
out his menacing Mongo guard they are wearing what looks like the Canadian
version of SWAT uniforms, with silver ray guns. Terrible, simply terrible,
MING�s costume looks like a reject from a marching band. I could go on and on,
but you get the idea.

Now I�m all for updating
the story and characters, but lets do it if it really helps UPDATE the idea.
This new Flash doesn�t venture to Mongo in a space ship with Dr. Zarkov � NO�
this Flash uses worm-holes! In the serials what made Flash fun was the fact he
was stranded on an alien world and had to use his wits to survive. Here he has
the ability to use worm-holes to jet back and forth from Earth to Mongo, and it
seems when things get too hot for Flash on Mongo he runs home to mommy! �
Literally.

The idea of making this a
more modern day version of the old-fashioned hero is a good idea, but in this
case the show is so lacking in fun or originality it makes watching it a real
chore and down right painful! Every character in this show seems to have been
ripped off from the worst B-movie clich�s. The producers of this show seemed to
have lost all sight of the reasons they wanted to make this show in the first
place.

If you are a fan of FLASH
GORDON - save yourself the burden and skip this show, instead pop in the REAL
Flash Gordon starring
Buster Crabbe!

Indiana Jones and the
Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a Lucasfilm Ltd. and is being distributed by
Paramount Pictures. It will be released in the U.S. and simultaneously in most
territories worldwide on Thursday, May 22, 2008. Frank Marshall returns as
producer, with Kathleen Kennedy joining George Lucas as executive producer.

Jane
Wyman, who won a best actress Oscar for her performance as a deaf-mute rape
victim in 1948's "Johnny Belinda" and played the domineering matriarch on the
hit '80s CBS series "Falcon Crest," died Monday. She was 93.

Wyman, who was married to actor and future president Ronald Reagan from 1940-48,
died at her Palm Springs home, said Richard Adney of Forest Lawn Memorial Park
and Mortuary in Cathedral City, Calif. No other details were available.

It
was Voltaire who once said that if God didn�t exist, it would be necessary to
invent him. It was screenwriter John August who said the same thing about
Captain Marvel.

�If Captain Marvel didn�t pre-exist and there was just an
idea of a 13 year old boy who can speak a magic word and turn into a superhero,
that�s a great idea,� the writer declared on the eve of turning in his completed
draft for �Shazam.� �If it hadn�t been around for 50 years and someone just
wrote it as a spec script, that would sell cause it�s a really good idea.�

It�s an idea whose time has come. A comic book film which
centers on an unlikely hero, �Shazam� is �very different� from all �the other
flying people in tights movies,� insisted August. �It�s not Spider-Man plus
jokes. There�s really good comic potential there,� he asserted, revealing that
his film, an origin story, owes as much to �Big� as it does to �Superman.�

�Yeah, I avoid saying that because that incenses certain
people,� August laughed of the comparison. �But the people that are going to go
see this movie opening weekend are going to be excited to see [action and
comedy] together.�

And they�re going to see it very soon, August confessed.
�I�m turning in �Shazaam� tomorrow,� he said. �Literally, you�re keeping me from
the keyboard!�

�I knew what I was getting into,� he continued. �In a
sense, even with a character that doesn�t have the giant spotlight on him like
Superman or Batman, there�s a tremendously loyal fan base who have very clear
expectations about what they think a Captain Marvel movie should be. What people
tend to really forget is that I�m just pushing words around on paper and doing
the best job I can. But it�s weird that there�s such a spotlight on a movie
that�s just now 119 pages of 12-point Courier.�

The roles listed with the casting calls do not specify which characters they
are in the film. Reports have said that the superhero team-up movie would
include Batman, Superman, The Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and the Green
Lantern. Christian Bale (Batman Begins,
The Dark Knight)
and Brandon Routh (Superman,
Superman: Man of
Steel) are not involved.

Warner Bros. has yet to make an official announcement about George Miller's
attachment or any casting info.

FX
maestro Rick Baker is back on lycanthrope duties. He's built a career on uncanny
werewolf and ape FX, Eddie Murphy blockbusters and other astonishing works
including Hellboy, The Frighteners and The Ring. Plus, he's a six-time Oscar
winner.

ShockTillYouDrop.com received word from within the walls of Universal that
Baker is in the prepping stages of bringing
The Wolfman to
life in Mark Romanek's remake.

Shooting begins, based on a script by Andrew Kevin Walker, this December with a
November 14, 2008 release on the horizon. Benicio Del Toro is playing the cursed
eponymous role made famous by Lon Chaney, Jr. in 1941.

Baker's history of lycanthropy began, of course, with An American Werewolf in
London and continued into "Thriller" (well, what that is Jackson turns into),
"Werewolf" (the TV series), Wolf and Wes Craven's Cursed.

Four years ago today my father TOM MASON, (or Pops as I affectionately called
him) AKA The Crimson Collector passed away. It's hard to believe it has been
that long - I think about him everyday and we all miss him terribly.

I ask all the Crimson Collector fans & friends to read your
favorite comic, pop in your favorite serial or western DVD for a few
cliff-hanging chapters and enjoy!

Rogen will executive produce, along with co-writer and frequent collaborator
Evan Goldberg.

Rogen would play Brit Reid, millionaire publisher-turned-masked crime
fighter. "The Green Hornet" started as a radio serial before being turned
into a comic book, film and TV series by the 1960s. The TV show was notable
for the presence of the late Bruce Lee as sidekick Kato, a kung fu
expert with a killer car.

The film will be produced by Neal H. Moritz at Columbia, where Rogen's next
film is Superbad, which he co-wrote with Goldberg.

The Man With the Hat is Back! For
the first time since 1989, Harrison Ford dons the familiar costume on Thursday,
June 21, 2007, as the upcoming "Indiana
Jones" adventure begins production under the direction of Steven
Spielberg. The new "Indiana Jones" movie is set in the 1950s and stars Shia
LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent. The
Lucasfilm Ltd. production will be released by Paramount Pictures worldwide on
May 22, 2008. The photo was taken by Spielberg!

Hey
serial fans, there is a new hero on the block and his name is "The Scarlet
Avenger" -
Casablanca, World War II...masked superhero, 'The
Scarlet Avenger', battles the Nazis and his evil arch nemesis, 'The Skull', to
rescue his friend and save the world!

You can see the full 22 minute serial tribute
HERE.Filmmaker Scott C. Clements has
created his very own pulp action hero in the mold of the Masked Marvel and Spy
Smasher! The Scarlet Avenger is a loving tribute to the serials of the 1940's -
full of action, heroes, villains and a beautiful damsel in distress...

Rumors have been floating around the net that the fine folks at PIXAR animation
are setting their sights on John Carter of Mars - and that this will be
the first venture into live action films for the animation giant that brought us
"Toy Story" & "The Incredibles" to name a few. And that Incerdible's director Brad
Bird may be directing.

Variety reports that producers Dino and Martha De
Laurentiis have completed a rights deal that will allow them to reinvent
Barbarella, and the producers have set Casino Royale screenwriters Neal
Purvis and Robert Wade to pen the script.

The original 1968 Roger Vadim-directed fantasy was produced by De Laurentiis,
who wrote the check to secure Purvis and Wade.

De Laurentiis recently completed a film rights acquisition deal with Julien
Forest, the son of Jean-Claude Forest, author of the French comic book
series on which the film was based. The deal, made with Hollywood Comics
principal Jean-Marc Lofficier and French agent Laurie Roy, calls for the
reissue of the first two Barbarella books in concert with the feature, along
with the publication of material that previously hadn't been translated into
English.

"Barbarella is the ultimate science-fiction adventure heroine: smart, strong
funny and sexy," De Laurentiis said. "I'm excited to reintroduce Barbarella
to a new generation of moviegoers."

In the original film, Jane Fonda played the title character as a kittenish
sexpot. In the remake, the writers will make Barbarella a free, modern gal
who survives in a futuristic world through her intelligence, fighting skills
and sexuality.

The Casino Royale writers just turned in their draft for the 22nd
installment of the Bond franchise and will make Barbarella their next
project.

There are reports, that actor
Tom Poston has passed away. Poston was probably most
famous for his role as George Utley, Bob Newhart's handyman on Newhart, but his
TV and film career goes all the way back to regular appearances on The Steve
Allen Show and even a role on the Tom Corbett, Space Cadet TV series back in the
50s (click
here for his lengthy list of IMDB credits). Poston was
85.

We've got a bit more sad news to report that actor Gordon Scott passed
away on 4/30. Scott starred as the title character in
several classic Tarzan films, including Tarzan's Greatest Adventure. He later
appeared in a number of Italian genre films. He'll be missed.

Also sad to report that retired NASA astronaut
Wally Schirra has died at the age of 84. Schirra was
one of the first seven astronauts selected for the pioneering Mercury program
back in the early 1960s, and he later commanded the Gemini 6 flight and the
first manned Apollo mission (Apollo 7). Some older readers may also remember him
for teaming up with CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite to cover the subsequent Apollo
moon landings on TV.DISCUSS THIS IN THE
CRIMSON FORUMS

First Bond actor Barry Nelson, Dies at 89April 16, 2007

MGM
star was the first Bond in TV's 'Casino'Barry Nelson, an MGM contract player during the 1940s
who later had a prolific theater career and was the first actor to play James
Bond on screen, died April 7 in Bucks County, Pa. He was 89.

After graduating from the University of California,
Berkeley, in 1941, Nelson was spotted by a talent scout and signed to MGM. He
appeared in a number of films for the studio in 1942, including "Shadow of the
Thin Man," "Johnny Eager" and "Dr. Kildare's Victory." He also landed the
leading role in "A Yank on the Burma Road," playing a cab driver who decides to
lead a convoy of trucks for the Chinese government.

Nelson entered the Army during World War II and went on the
road with other actors performing the wartime play "Winged Victory," which was
later made into a movie starring Red Buttons, George Reeves and Nelson.

After the war, Nelson starred in a string of movies,
including "Undercover Maisie," "Time to Kill" and "Tenth Avenue Angel."

He is the answer to the trivia question: Who was the first
actor to play
James Bond? Before Sean Connery was tapped to play the British agent on the
big screen in 1962's "Dr. No," Nelson played Bond in a one-hour TV adaptation of
"Casino
Royale" in 1954.

Nelson switched to the stage during the 1960s and 1970s,
appearing on Broadway in "Seascape" "Mary, Mary" and "Cactus Flower." He earned
a Tony nomination in 1978 for his role in "The Act," which also starred Liza
Minnelli.

"He was a very naturalistic, believable actor," said his
agent, Francis Delduca. "He was good at both comedy and the serious stuff."

Among his other film credits were "Airport" and "The
Shining," and he also appeared on such TV shows as "Murder, She Wrote," "Dallas"
and "Magnum P.I."

Lawrence Kasdan has been
hired to write Clash of the Titans for Warner Bros. Pictures, says The
Hollywood Reporter. Basil Iwanyk is producing via Thunder Road.

A remake of the 1981 cult classic, the story revolves around Zeus' son,
Perseus, and his journey to save Princess Andromeda during which he must
complete various tasks set out by Zeus, including capturing Pegasus and
slaying Medusa. The original marked the final film on which Ray Harryhausen
did special effects.

Travis Beacham (Killing on Carnival Row) wrote a draft.

Kasdan wrote the screenplays for Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back
and Raiders of the Lost Ark. He executive produced In the Land of Women,
written and directed by son Jon Kasdan and hitting theaters on Friday.

In an effort to keep the site expanding, the Crimson Collector site is looking
for contributors. If you would like to contribute articles, film reviews or
memories of serials, toys or your private collection of premiums. Please
feel free to contact the Crimson WebMaster Chris Mason.
DISCUSS THIS IN THE
CRIMSON FORUMS

The Crimson Collector is �
1998/2001 by Chris and Tom Mason.
All other images, characters & photos are Copyright of the respective
owners.
If you have any question about this web site please contact the
CRIMSON COLLECTOR or the WEB-MASTER.
This site created and maintained by HARBINGER-DESIGN.